Crysis 2 DirectX 11 patch is out, comparison inside

Update: As expected the Crysis 2 "DX11 Ultra Upgrade" patch and the high-resolution texture pack are now available for download. The update introduces DirectX 11 support as well as graphical improvements to both DX11 and DX9 versions of the game. For more details on the changes read our original post from last Friday below. On a relevant note, there's also a fan-made Crysis HD texture mod here.

Making good on its promise, Crytek has announced that it will finally add DirectX 11 graphics to Crysis 2. The developer plans to release three separate downloadable add-ons that improve the game's visual quality alongside patch 1.9 next Monday, June 27. To be clear, although patch 1.9 will enable DirectX 11 support, you'll have to individually download and install the "DirectX 11 Ultra Upgrade," "DX11 Tessellation Pack," and "High Res Textures."

The DirectX 11 Ultra Upgrade will deliver a host of graphical improvements and performance optimizations for both DX9 and DX11 APIs. After installing the update, folks running Crysis 2 in DX9 will gain real-time local reflections and contacts shadows. In addition to those effects, DX11 platforms will enjoy hardware tessellation, parallax occlusion mapping along with various shadow, water, particle, depth of field, and motion blur enhancements.

To enable hardware tessellation, however, DX11 players will have to download the DX11 Tessellation Pack, which contains pre-tessellated geometries. As its name indicates, the third optional download simply contains high-resolution textures for a variety of assets. Both DX9 and DX11 versions of Crysis 2 will support the snazzier textures, but it's worth noting that you'll need a graphics card with at least 1GB of VRAM and a 64-bit OS.

Patch 1.9 will also deliver nearly a dozen gameplay tweaks, including a handful multiplayer bug fixes for issues that caused incorrect stat logging and authentication problems. Another glitch prevented JAW rockets from firing through windows with broken glass. The update will also improve anti-cheat measurements as Crytek has fixed an exploit that allowed players to become immune to vote kicking. We've included the full release notes below.

Although they haven't been officially released yet, a few lucky players managed to download the updates from Crytek's test environment before the company removed the files from public view. You'll have to wait until Monday to experience the higher-quality graphics in all their splendor, but you can whet your appetite with six animated GIFs that compare the before and after effects of DX11 Tessellation courtesy of a NeoGaf forum member.

Unfortunately, for every PC gamer that is ecstatic about the DX11 update, we imagine there are two who will shrug it off with a chip on their shoulder. Many PC gamers were disappointed by Crysis 2's console-biased launch, giving the game an average Metacritic user score of 6.4 out of 10. For those of you who dismissed Crysis 2 as a console port: is the DX11 patch enough to forgive and forget, or is Crytek simply putting tinsel on a dead Christmas tree?

Crysis 2 Patch 1.9

• Added Contact Shadows
• Added DX11 benchmark level
• Added DX11 support for Crysis 2 (the following features only work when downloading the optional DX11 package here):
• - Tessellation + Displacement Mapping
• - High Quality HDR Motion Blur
• - Realistic Shadows with Variable Penumbra
• - Sprite Based Bokeh Depth of Field
• - Parallax Occlusion Mapping
• - Particles Motion Blur, Shadows and Art Updates
• - Water Rendering improvements and using Tessellation + Displacement Mapping
• Added Realtime Local Reflections
• Added support for Higher Res Textures Package
• Added various new console variables to whitelist
• Fixed bullet penetration, which had been broken by a bug introduced with the DLC 2 patch
• Fixed issue in MP where player stats weren't always saved at the end of a game
• Fixed issue in MP where player stats would sometimes randomly reset
• Fixed issue with MP time played statistic, which would sometimes be too low on leaderboards and in stats
• Fixed issue with JAW rocket not firing through window's containing broken glass
• Fixed rare issue where a user could not access MP with a valid CD key if they had previously used an invalid CD key
• Improved advanced graphics options menu
• Improved anti-cheat measurements: fixed exploit which could prevent vote kicking working against a user
• Improved multi-GPU support
• Improved Tone Mapping
• Re-added possibility to enable r_StereoSupportAMD via config file (unsupported)